Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3-4b, conventional skating boots 10 are typically constructed with a relatively stiff leather upper 12 built about a boot-like sole 14 and heel 16 platform, which are likewise relatively stiff. Accordingly, when the wearer's foot is placed into the skating boot 10, and the skating boot 10 is laced up, unless the skating boot 10 essentially form fits the wearer's foot, or the wearer has a relatively straight lower leg LL (e.g., tibia relative to the vertical axis A extending downwardly through the knee K) or the wearer has a relatively stable subtalar joint (e.g., see FIG. 3), some wearer's feet F have a tendency to roll about the ankle joint (e.g., display eversion and/or inversion characteristics with respect to the subtalar joint area). This situation is especially problematic for individuals with existing pronation and/or supination conditions, wherein significant rearfoot and/or forefoot valgus and/or varus conditions are present. For example, some of these individuals may have “bowed” lower legs LL (e.g., laterally or medially), and as a result, the supinators (e.g., see FIG. 4b) and/or the pronators (e.g., see FIG. 4a) attempt to compensate by maintaining a neutral or level foot posture relative to the skate blade SB. In these situations, the wearer of the skating boot 10 attempts to compensate for the valgus/varus conditions to maintain a subtalar neutral position in order to keep the skate blade vertically aligned with the knee/upper portion of the lower leg (e.g., proximal portion of the tibia) so as to maintain proper balance. However, because the toe cap of the skating boot forces the wearer's toes and/or forefoot down onto the foot bed surface, and because typical ice skating maneuvers with ice skating boots require the foot to be able to balance on a point of a rockered skating blade, it is virtually impossible for the wearer to consistently and constantly maintain a subtalar neutral position (i.e., neither pronating or supinating), especially if one or both of the wearer's feet naturally pronates and/or supinates to any significant degree. Needless to say, skating performance would be expected to significantly suffer under these particular circumstances.
Referring specifically to FIG. 2, the shoes 20 can include exercise, therapeutic, or physiological footwear (e.g., MBT brand shoes, which are readily commercially available from Swiss Masai Marketing GmbH, St. Gallerstrasse 72, 9325 Roggwil TG, Switzerland). These types of exercise, therapeutic, or physiological footwear, which require the wearer to balance across a line extending through the center C of the width of the sole 22, generally include those types of shoes that supposedly have a number of positive effects not only on the foot but on the whole body, including toning of various muscle groups and/or alleviating stress on various joints. As with conventional skating boots, if the shoes 20 essentially form fit the wearer's feet, or the wearer has a relatively straight lower leg LL (e.g., tibia) and/or relatively stable subtalar joints, these types of shoes are typically not a problem for these individuals. However, these types of shoes can be problematic for individuals with existing pronation and/or supination conditions, wherein significant rearfoot and/or forefoot valgus and/or varus conditions are present. For example, some of these individuals may have “bowed” lower legs (e.g., laterally or medially), and as a result, the individual attempts to compensate by pronating and/or supinating to maintain a level foot posture relative to the ground. In this situation, the wearer of the shoes 20 attempts to compensate for the valgus/varus conditions to maintain a subtalar neutral position. However, because these shoes 20 require the foot to be able to balance across a line extending through the center C of the width of the sole 22, it is virtually impossible for the wearer to consistently and constantly maintain a subtalar neutral position (i.e., neither pronating or supinating), especially if one or both of the wearer's feet naturally pronates and/or supinates.
Because of these different mechanical conditions being present, the ice skater's foot needs to be positioned differently than in a conventional shoe in order to maintain constant and consistent balance over the skate blade. Without this balance, the muscles, bones, tendons and ligaments of the skater's foot (as well as other parts of the body) can become stressed and/or injured as the ankle repeatedly rolls, or attempts to roll, either laterally or medially.
Additionally, exercise, therapeutic, or physiological footwear, as described above, can also be painful for individuals with “loose” or unstable subtalar joints to walk in, as the foot constantly wants to “roll over” or pronate/supinate. For example, individuals with pronation and/or supination conditions may find walking in the afore-mentioned exercise, therapeutic, or physiological footwear difficult or painful, despite the purported health benefits.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide a new and improved insert for a piece of footwear, such as but not limited to ice skating boots, or a shoe, such as but not limited to exercise, therapeutic, or physiological footwear, and methods for forming same, for correcting a pronation and/or supination condition wherein the insert permits the subtalar joint of the affected foot to be placed in and/or maintained in a neutral position, that overcomes at least one of the aforementioned problems.